The policeman on the beat moved up the avenue impressively. —
巡警在大道上显得令人印象深刻。 —

The impressiveness was habitual and not for show, for spectators were few. —
这种印象是常态的，而不是为了炫耀，因为观众很少。 —

The time was barely 10 o’clock at night, but chilly gusts of wind with a taste of rain in them had well nigh depeopled the streets.
现在才晚上10点钟，但刺骨的寒风中带有雨味，几乎使街道上没什么人。

Trying doors as he went, twirling his club with many intricate and artful movements, turning now and then to cast his watchful eye adown the pacific thoroughfare, the officer, with his stalwart form and slight swagger, made a fine picture of a guardian of the peace. —
他边走边试着拉门，用复杂而熟练的动作挥舞着警棍，时不时转过头，注意着这个平和的大街，警察以他的魁伟身材和轻微的趾高气昂形象展示着维护和平的形象。 —

The vicinity was one that kept early hours. —
周围的地方早早就门庭冷落了。 —

Now and then you might see the lights of a cigar store or of an all-night lunch counter; —
偶尔你可以看到一家雪茄店或者一家整夜开放的快餐店的灯光； —

but the majority of the doors belonged to business places that had long since been closed.
但大部分的门属于早已关闭的商业场所。

When about midway of a certain block the policeman suddenly slowed his walk. —
当巡警走到某个街区的中间时，忽然减缓了步伐。 —

In the doorway of a darkened hardware store a man leaned, with an unlighted cigar in his mouth. —
在一家黑暗的五金店门口，一个人倚在那里，嘴里叼着一支未点燃的雪茄。 —

As the policeman walked up to him the man spoke up quickly.
当警察走近他时，那个男人迅速开口说道。

“It’s all right, officer,” he said, reassuringly. —
“没关系，警官，”他安抚地说。 —

“I’m just waiting for a friend. —
“我只等一个朋友。 —

It’s an appointment made twenty years ago. —
这是二十年前定的约会。 —

Sounds a little funny to you, doesn’t it? Well, I’ll explain if you’d like to make certain it’s all straight. —
听起来有点滑稽，对吧？如果你想确认一切都清楚，我可以解释。 —

About that long ago there used to be a restaurant where this store stands–‘Big Joe’ Brady’s restaurant.”
大约二十年前，这个商店的地方曾经有一家餐厅，“大乔”布雷迪的餐厅。

“Until five years ago,” said the policeman. —
“直到五年前，”警察说。 —

“It was torn down then.”
“那时候它被拆了。”

The man in the doorway struck a match and lit his cigar. —
门口的那个人划了一根火柴点燃雪茄。 —

The light showed a pale, square-jawed face with keen eyes, and a little white scar near his right eyebrow. —
灯光透出一个苍白、方下巴的脸，有着敏锐的眼睛和右眉毛附近的一道小白疤。 —

His scarfpin was a large diamond, oddly set.
他的领带针是一颗大的、奇怪摆放的钻石。

“Twenty years ago to-night,” said the man, “I dined here at ‘Big Joe’ Brady’s with Jimmy Wells, my best chum, and the finest chap in the world. —
“二十年前的今天晚上，”那人说，“我和吉米·威尔斯在这里的‘大乔’布雷迪餐厅吃过晚餐，他是我最好的朋友，是世界上最好的人。 —

He and I were raised here in New York, just like two brothers, together. —
他和我一起在纽约长大，就像两个兄弟一样。 —

I was eighteen and Jimmy was twenty. —
我十八岁，吉米二十岁。 —

The next morning I was to start for the West to make my fortune. —
第二天早上我要动身去西部谋生。 —

You couldn’t have dragged Jimmy out of New York; —
你无法把吉米从纽约拉走； —

he thought it was the only place on earth. Well, we agreed that night that we would meet here again exactly twenty years from that date and time, no matter what our conditions might be or from what distance we might have to come. —
他认为那是地球上唯一的地方。好吧，那晚我们约定，无论我们的状况如何，无论我们要从多远的地方赶来，我们会在这个地方再次见面，时间是二十年后准确的那一天和那个时间。 —

We figured that in twenty years each of us ought to have our destiny worked out and our fortunes made, whatever they were going to be.”
我们计算，二十年后，我们每个人都应该把自己的命运和财富安排好了，无论会是怎样的。

“It sounds pretty interesting,” said the policeman. —
“听起来相当有趣，”警察说。“不过， —

“Rather a long time between meets, though, it seems to me. —
这么长时间才见一次，我觉得有些长。 —

Haven’t you heard from your friend since you left?”
你离开后有没有收到你朋友的消息？”

“Well, yes, for a time we corresponded,” said the other. —
嗯，是的，有段时间我们保持通信联系，”另一个人说。 —

“But after a year or two we lost track of each other. —
“但是过了一两年后，我们失去了联系。 —

You see, the West is a pretty big proposition, and I kept hustling around over it pretty lively. —
你知道，西部是一个相当大的事情，我在那里忙碌得很快。 —

But I know Jimmy will meet me here if he’s alive, for he always was the truest, stanchest old chap in the world. —
但我知道吉米如果还活着就会在这里等我，因为他一直是世界上最真实、最忠诚的老朋友。他永远不会忘记。 —

He’ll never forget. —
—

I came a thousand miles to stand in this door to-night, and it’s worth it if my old partner turns up.”
我走了一千里来到这扇门前，只为了看看我老搭档是否会出现。

The waiting man pulled out a handsome watch, the lids of it set with small diamonds.
等待的人掏出一只漂亮的手表，表盖上装饰着小钻石。

“Three minutes to ten,” he announced. —
他宣布道：“距离十点还有三分钟。 —

“It was exactly ten o’clock when we parted here at the restaurant door.”
我们当初在餐馆门口分别的时候，正好是十点。”

“Did pretty well out West, didn’t you?” asked the policeman.
警察问道：“在西部过得不错，对吧？”

“You bet! I hope Jimmy has done half as well. —
他回答：“当然！我希望吉米也过得一样好。 —

He was a kind of plodder, though, good fellow as he was. —
尽管他是个马马虎虎的人，但是他是个好人。” —

I’ve had to compete with some of the sharpest wits going to get my pile. —
我为了赚到一大笔财富不得不与一些最聪明的人竞争。 —

A man gets in a groove in New York. It takes the West to put a razor-edge on him.”
一个人在纽约容易陷入一种墨守成规的状态。需要到西部去才能让他变得锐利起来。

The policeman twirled his club and took a step or two.
警察转动着警棍，退后了几步。

“I’ll be on my way. Hope your friend comes around all right. —
他说：“我得走了。希望你朋友没事。 —

Going to call time on him sharp?”
准时通知他吗？”

“I should say not!” said the other. —
另一个人回答：“当然不会！ —

“I’ll give him half an hour at least. —
我至少给他半个小时的时间。 —

If Jimmy is alive on earth he’ll be here by that time. —
如果吉米还活在这个世上，他会来的。再见了， —

So long, officer.”
警官。”

“Good-night, sir,” said the policeman, passing on along his beat, trying doors as he went.
“晚安，先生。”警察说着，继续沿着他的巡逻路线前行，顺便试探着门。

There was now a fine, cold drizzle falling, and the wind had risen from its uncertain puffs into a steady blow. —
此刻，天空中细密的冷雨滴落，风也从不稳定的微风变成了持续的狂风。 —

The few foot passengers astir in that quarter hurried dismally and silently along with coat collars turned high and pocketed hands. —
那个地区只有少数几个行人悲伤地、默默地走着，衣领高高翻起，双手插在口袋里。 —

And in the door of the hardware store the man who had come a thousand miles to fill an appointment, uncertain almost to absurdity, with the friend of his youth, smoked his cigar and waited.
在五金店门口，那个为了一个重要约会而跋山涉水千里而来的男人，充满了不确定性，吞云吐雾地抽着雪茄，坐在那里等待。

About twenty minutes he waited, and then a tall man in a long overcoat, with collar turned up to his ears, hurried across from the opposite side of the street. —
大约等了二十分钟，一个穿着长风衣的高个子男人，领子拉得高高的，匆忙地从街对面走过来。 —

He went directly to the waiting man.
他径直走到等待的男人面前。

“Is that you, Bob?” he asked, doubtfully.
“是你吗，鲍勃？”他犹豫地问道。

“Is that you, Jimmy Wells?” cried the man in the door.
“是你吗，吉米·威尔斯？”门口的男人叫道。

“Bless my heart!” exclaimed the new arrival, grasping both the other’s hands with his own. —
“天哪！”新来的人喊道，双手握着对方的手。“真是鲍勃， —

“It’s Bob, sure as fate. —
命中注定。” —

I was certain I’d find you here if you were still in existence. —
我确定如果你还活着的话我会在这里找到你。 —

Well, well, well! –twenty years is a long time. —
哎呀，二十年真是很长的时间啊。老朋友， —

The old gone, Bob; —
鲍勃； —

I wish it had lasted, so we could have had another dinner there. —
真希望它能持久，这样我们就可以再去那里吃一顿晚餐。 —

How has the West treated you, old man?”
西部对你怎么样了，老兄？

“Bully; it has given me everything I asked it for. —
太好了；它给了我我所要求的一切。 —

You’ve changed lots, Jimmy. I never thought you were so tall by two or three inches.”
吉米，你变了很多啊。我从没想过你会比我高两三英寸。

“Oh, I grew a bit after I was twenty.”
哦，二十岁后我又长高了一点。

“Doing well in New York, Jimmy?”
在纽约过得不错，吉米吗？

“Moderately. I have a position in one of the city departments. —
一般般。我在城市的某个部门有个职位。走吧， —

Come on, Bob; —
鲍勃； —

we’ll go around to a place I know of, and have a good long talk about old times.”
我们去我知道的一个地方，好好聊聊过去的时光。

The two men started up the street, arm in arm. —
两个人手挽着手开始沿着街走去。 —

The man from the West, his egotism enlarged by success, was beginning to outline the history of his career. —
来自西部的这个自负的男人因为成功而更加自大，他开始叙述自己的职业历史。 —

The other, submerged in his overcoat, listened with interest.
另一个人深陷在大衣里，饶有兴致地听着。

At the corner stood a drug store, brilliant with electric lights. —
在拐角处有一家药店，明亮的电灯照耀着。 —

When they came into this glare each of them turned simultaneously to gaze upon the other’s face.
当他们走进这个明亮地方时，他们同时转过头来凝视对方的脸庞。

The man from the West stopped suddenly and released his arm.
西方的男人突然停下来，松开了他的手臂。

“You’re not Jimmy Wells,” he snapped. —
“你不是吉米·威尔斯，”他厉声说道。” —

“Twenty years is a long time, but not long enough to change a man’s nose from a Roman to a pug.”
20年时间很长，但并不足以将一个人的鼻子从罗马式变成狮子鼻。”

“It sometimes changes a good man into a bad one, said the tall man. —
“它有时会把一个好人变坏，” 那个高个子男人说道。 —

“You’ve been under arrest for ten minutes, ‘Silky’ Bob. Chicago thinks you may have dropped over our way and wires us she wants to have a chat with you. —
“你已经被逮捕了十分钟，‘丝绸’鲍勃。芝加哥认为你可能过来我们这边，给我们打了个电报，说想和你聊聊天。” —

Going quietly, are you? That’s sensible. Now, before we go on to the station here’s a note I was asked to hand you. —
你安静地走吧？这很明智。现在，在我们去警察局之前，我被要求递给你一张便条。 —

You may read it here at the window. —
你可以在这个窗户边读它。 —

It’s from Patrolman Wells.”
它是韦尔斯巡警写的。

The man from the West unfolded the little piece of paper handed him. —
西方的男人展开了递给他的一小张纸。 —

His hand was steady when he began to read, but it trembled a little by the time he had finished. —
当他开始阅读时，他的手很稳定，但到他读完时有一点颤抖。 —

The note was rather short.
便条很短。

“Bob: I was at the appointed place on time. —
“鲍勃：我准时在约定地点等着。 —

When you struck the match to light your cigar I saw it was the face of the man wanted in Chicago. —
当你划火柴点燃雪茄时，我看到你的脸正是芝加哥寻找的那个人的脸。” —

Somehow I couldn’t do it myself, so I went around and got a plain clothes man to do the job. JIMMY.”
不知为何我无法自己做这件事，所以我四处找了个便衣人来完成工作。JIMMY。